Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a bearing structure which is configured to axially support a shaft, and to a turbocharger.
Related Art
Hitherto, there has been known a turbocharger in which a shaft is axially supported so as to be rotatable in a bearing housing. A turbine impeller is provided at one end of the shaft, and a compressor impeller is provided at another end of the shaft. The turbocharger is connected to an engine. The turbine impeller is rotated by exhaust gas discharged from the engine. The rotation of the turbine impeller causes the compressor impeller to rotate through the shaft. With this action, the turbocharger compresses air along with the rotation of the compressor impeller and delivers the compressed air to the engine.
In a turbocharger disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a bearing is received in a bearing hole formed in a housing. A shaft is axially supported by the bearing. Lubricating oil having lubricated the bearing flows out to a space formed between the bearing hole and the impeller in the housing. The lubricating oil having flowed out to the space flows down through a passage formed on a vertically lower side with respect to the bearing hole and is discharged to an outside of the housing.